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Newbie Questions - Belt & Air-Cooled

C

coffenut

New member
Perhaps a naive question, but I am brand new to the Spyder world (I hope to buy my first later this year) ....

I come from the 2-wheel world where my motorcycle was beltless and liquid-cooled.

Belts - how worried do I need to be about rocks vs the belt --- in other words ... is the Spyder a hardtop only bike? There are some states where gravel is considered a paved road ....

Air-cooled --- how worried do I need to be about overheating?
 
coffenut said:
Perhaps a naive question, but I am brand new to the Spyder world (I hope to buy my first later this year) ....

I come from the 2-wheel world where my motorcycle was beltless and liquid-cooled.

Belts - how worried do I need to be about rocks vs the belt --- in other words ... is the Spyder a hardtop only bike? There are some states where gravel is considered a paved road ....

Air-cooled --- how worried do I need to be about overheating?
Click to expand...

Yes rocks can get in the belt, you must go slow on gravel. There are belt guards available from vendors on this forum. Spyders are liquid cooled, keep radiators clear of debris.
 
Depends...

:agree: the cooling is not a problem and you don't have to worry about it anymore than you did on your bikes. The belt you do have to beware of depending on how many of these "considered paved" roads you travel on. But as mentioned above there are added protections that can be added...
 
coffenut said:
Air-cooled --- how worried do I need to be about overheating?
Click to expand...

I respectfully suggest you thoroughly read your operator's guide.

Regarding gavel roads, as others have said there are third party vendors that sell what is commonly called the "Missing Belt Guard." It is a worthwhile addition to your Spyder's swing arm. Even with this addition, as your operator's guide cautions, you should go slowly on gravel roads and, depending upon for far you travel on such roads, it's your call whether or not you do a check of the belt and rear sprocket once you are back on pavement.
 
JayBros said:
I respectfully suggest you thoroughly read your operator's guide.

Regarding gavel roads, as others have said there are third party vendors that sell what is commonly called the "Missing Belt Guard." It is a worthwhile addition to your Spyder's swing arm. Even with this addition, as your operator's guide cautions, you should go slowly on gravel roads and, depending upon for far you travel on such roads, it's your call whether or not you do a check of the belt and rear sprocket once you are back on pavement.
Click to expand...


Thank you. I have ended up on several unplanned adventures on my 2 wheel on roads that were considered paved that most defiantly were not so I am just trying to be proactive. I think that I may be purchasing that belt guard once I get my Spyder considering I am the person that Murphy interviewed for his laws.
 
I ride 1.5 miles of gravel every time I ride. The missing belt guard and keeping the speed down will generally keep rocks out.

The owners manual will talk about coolant levels and maintenance. The radiators are air cooled.:D
 
Chupaca said:
:agree: the cooling is not a problem and you don't have to worry about it anymore than you did on your bikes. The belt you do have to beware of depending on how many of these "considered paved" roads you travel on. But as mentioned above there are added protections that can be added...
Click to expand...


Thank you. I have a tendency to get myself into "situations" so I'll be looking into those protections. .... and thank you for the info on the liquid cooled ... with the traffic in the DC area, overheating was a concern. :-)
 
????

In some ways BRP is way ahead of the curve, and in other ways they can't even see a curve at all. Their customer service and dealership network sucks, which may be their undoing in the end. But regarding your question, yes, why don't they have a driveline on their spyder? I had a driveline on my 2 wheeler back in the early 80's and it functioned flawlessly for 80k + miles. Belts are 19th century technology. And why didn't BRP put a spin on oil filter on their 1330? Canister filters are again 19th century technology. At the rate they are going they may never catch up with the rest of the industry.
 
All of the big cruisers have been using belt drive for years. I don't see it as a problem. I ride 2 miles of dirt every time i leave my house.
 
Gravel and dirt are not a big issue. Sticky chip seal is.
I put 80,00 miles on my first Spyder-- a 2008 GS and used to hit dirt and gravel all the time.. fishtailing on the dirt roads, etc.... with all the belt guards removed and I never had a belt problem. It's not something to be overly concerned about.

The only thing air-cooled on the Spyder is the rider....
 
coffenut said:
Perhaps a naive question, but I am brand new to the Spyder world (I hope to buy my first later this year) ....

I come from the 2-wheel world where my motorcycle was beltless and liquid-cooled.

Belts - how worried do I need to be about rocks vs the belt --- in other words ... is the Spyder a hardtop only bike? There are some states where gravel is considered a paved road ....

Air-cooled --- how worried do I need to be about overheating?
Click to expand...

Start by reading 2 things

1. The Owners Manual

2. This
http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/...t-Do-s-and-Do-Nots-quot-for-new-Spyder-owners
 
coffenut said:
Perhaps a naive question, but I am brand new to the Spyder world (I hope to buy my first later this year) ....

I come from the 2-wheel world where my motorcycle was beltless and liquid-cooled.

Belts - how worried do I need to be about rocks vs the belt --- in other words ... is the Spyder a hardtop only bike? There are some states where gravel is considered a paved road ....

Air-cooled --- how worried do I need to be about overheating?
Click to expand...

There are NO air cooled Spyders so you don't have to worry about it.
 
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